Three years ago, I went to the store to buy a new pair of brown loafers to replace the pair that had practically fallen off my feet at work. Not having a whole lot of money to spend, I looked for the cheapest price and wound up with the brand State Street. I figured, at the time, they would last me a couple of months and I could then shop for something better.
Today, three years later, I’m still wearing the State Street loafers.
Let me take a moment to describe the conditions my work shoes need to survive. I wear the shoes 5 days a week, 48 weeks out of the year (I’m subtracting the three weeks of vacation time I get). They are on my feet coming and going to work and at lunch regardless of the weather. That means I have worn them in the rain and I’ve worn them walking through snow and mud. Heck, I’ve even shoveled my driveway while wearing them.
Even though I officially have a desk job, the shoes get a lot of use while at work too. I sit on the top floor of the building and everything from my boss’ office to the bathrooms is downstairs. I even have to take a small flight of steps to get to the printer several times each day. To give you a better picture, I brought a pedometer with me to work once and found I do about 2 miles of walking each day just from my daily work activities.
And, I shouldn’t forget to mention I am a bit lazy when it comes to putting shoes on and taking them off. I never untie them and have worn out quite a few pairs of shoes simply by forcing my foot in and out of them while the laces were still tied tight.
In fact, in the three years I have owned my State Street shoes, I have gone through at least four or five pairs of sneakers. And, I don’t wear sneakers nearly as much.
Now, I’m not saying my shoes are still in mint condition. Some of the brown coloring has worn off on the heel of my left shoe and the top part of the right shoe. The inner sole is a bit worn and I had to actually look at the bottom of the shoe to confirm the brand name. I also noticed today that the heel of my right shoe is starting to separate a bit and I will eventually either need to super glue it or go to the store to buy a different pair.
If I choose to do the latter, I can guarantee you State Street will be the first brand I look for. It may not be a top brand but it certainly has given me my money’s worth.
